Formwork assembly

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a formwork assembly, more particularly for the construction of system-type concrete building units, comprising a set of shuttering elements comprising side and deck formwork panels, wheels for moving the forms by rolling, and support elements. The set of shuttering elements consists of wall shuttering panels, corner shuttering elements, deck shuttering panels, and where appropriate, formwork panel inserts. The deck shuttering portion comprises clamping means linked to the split formwork elements which serves to position the deck shuttering section and is made up of sections. The formwork assembly has an upper movement mechanism, arranged between the sections of the clamping means that is suitable for moving apart and drawing together these sections, and a lower movement mechanism which by means of connecting elements, suitably rods, is capable of moving apart and drawing together the two side panel parts of the shuttering portion. The formwork assembly contains further a control element connecting the upper and lower movement mechanism and operating these in synchronism.

Pelle et al.

[ Sept. 5, 1972 FORMWORK ASSEMBLY Inventors: Jozsef Pelle, Vecsei Volgy; Laszlo Varga, Lakotelep, both of Hungary Assignee: Heves Megyei Beruhazasi Vallalat,

Eger, Hungary Filed: Aug. 4, 1970 Appl. No.: 60,901

Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 15, 1969 Hungary ..HE-547 US. Cl. ..249/13, 74/520, 249/24, 249/26, 249/178, 249/182 Int. Cl. ..B28b 7/30, F04g 11/02 Field of Search ..25/131 SD, 131 SC, 131 CP, 25/1316; 249/13, 24-27, 178, 180-182, 185; 74/520, 89.15

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1935 Sarosdy ..249/182 4/1938 Porter ..25/131.6 X 3/1971 Miller ..249/179 5/1955 Jessen ..25/13l.6 2/1911 Henderson ..25/13l.6 9/1916 Loxterman ..25/13 1 .6

12/ 1969 Quentin ..249/19 8/ 1956 Niedharnmer ..-...74/52O FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,496,816 8/ 1967 France ..249/ 13 Primary Examiner.l. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-Ben D. Tobor Attorney-Young & Thompson [5 7] ABSTRACT The disclosure relates to a formwork assembly, more particularly for the construction of system-type concrete building units, comprising a set of shuttering elements comprising side and deck formwork panels,

wheels for moving the forms by rolling, and support elements. The set of shuttering elements consists of wall shuttering panels, comer shuttering elements, deck shuttering panels, and where appropriate, formwork panel inserts. The deck shuttering portion comprises clamping means linked to the split formwork elements which serves to position the deck shuttering section and is made up of sections. The formwork assembly has an upper movement mechanism, arranged between the sections of the clamping means that is suitable for moving apart and drawing together these sections, and a lower movement mechanism which by means of connecting elements, suitably rods, is capable of moving apart and drawing together the two side panel parts of the shuttering portion. The formwork assembly contains further a control element connecting the upper and lower movement mechanism and operating these in synchronism.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENIEflscr' smz I 3.689.018 sum 1 0F 3 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS I 3.689.018 sumanrs PATENTEDsEP 5 m2 INVENTORS do'zsa P5145 45240 Vmese WW ATTORNEYS FORMWORK ASSEMBLY In the building industry, more particularly in the high-rise residential and public building sector, integrated formwork methods of construction are being employed to a progressively increasing extent. The essence of this method of construction consists in that the longitudinal and transverse walls, and the decks of the storeys of the building being erected, i.e., the primary load-bearing elements, are shuttered and concreted in a single operation forming one cycle of the building work, while stripping of the formwork also proceeds in one operation following appropriate setting of the concrete. In this way a load-carrying cell-system of building is created, which by comparison to the traditional systems, whether monolithic or using pre-cast components, displays many technological and also functional advantages.

The integrated formwork method of building requires special formwork constructions displaying extreme accuracy to ensure the complete functioning of the formwork elements as a main criterion; the erecting and stripping of the individual formwork elements must proceed without jarring in order to avoid damage to the elements and to result, firstly, in an entirely precise smooth wall construction and, secondly, enable the formwork equipment to be used rationally and repeatedly. It follows that the integrated formwork assembly is generally fabricated of metal, because the described requirements can be satisfied only by using this material.

Many different designs of integrated formwork assemblies are already known. French Pat. No. 1,097,202, for example, proposes a formwork assembly shaped as a four-wall box construction open at both sides, and the individual walls, like their articulated parts within a respective panel, can be unlocked and locked with the aid of an internal likewise articulated rod mechanism in concertina-like manner and in their opened-out state form the sides of the formwork. However, this solution displays a number of important disadvantages. Thus it can be used only for a single spatial dimension, the articulated mechanism is extremely sensitive and complicated, shuttering of four sides of the room is not necessary, in the slackened state the construction is unstable, its transportation is complicated, the articulated joints are very sensitive to damage, the overall construction is extremely complicated, and for all these reasons it has failed to find widespread acceptance.

Swiss Pat. No. 365,205 describes an integrated shuttering assembly whose side walls are articulated and can be bent during stripping, and also the reinforcing of the shuttering panels by means of vertical and horizontal insertable and removable props similar to those used in mineshaft reinforcing. The moving by rolling of the formwork assembly ensues in the inwardly bent position of the side walls by the agency of built-in wheels of large dimension. In this solution the articulation mechanism of the side walls, the variability of the prop length and the ability of the lower and upper reinforcing rod systems to move towards each other effect the erecting and dismantling of the formwork. However, the construction concerned is very difficult to realize in both structural and technological terms, the internal vertical and horizontal rod system makes the movement of work almost impossible, the deck formwork panel is unable to follow the movement of the overall system, and so this shuttering assembly is suitable for only a single dimension of the floor. It is thus impossible to cater for the manifold diverse requirements that obtain, stripping of the formwork assembly has to be performed in sections and lifting of the construction and its transportation from one storey to another is extremely difficult.

Swiss Pat. No. 346,996 discloses an integrated formwork assembly in which the shuttering is built up from triangular framework elements, the connections being made or broken with the aid of the lower threaded parts of the inclined supports, while each individual joint at the upper connection parts can be made with wing nuts and base sheets. This system suffers from the primary disadvantage that it can be varied only in wide dimensional steps by leaving out the basic triangular elements or by inserting additional elements, and it is thus not suitable for changes in dimensions of the order of tenths of meters. In addition, the complicated construction and the technologically very adverse factor that the formwork assembly consists of several independent, basic elements that must be assembled and dismantled for each individual operation are disadvantages, and also that complicated accessory elements are required if the dimensions of the room involved are to be changed. A further disadvantage is that the construction is sensitive and that its use demands considerable technical knowledge.

The aim of the invention is the fabrication of an integrated formwork assembly which eliminates the disadvantage of the known constructions and, by concreting in one workstage of the walls and decks, is suitable for producing cell-type building constructions, while its operation is simple, the work is rapidly accomplished and can be adapted readily to any dimension required in practice.

According to the invention this aim is realized by a framework assembly that possesses a formwork set comprising deck shuttering and side shuttering panels as well as wheels for transporting the formwork assembly by rolling and also support elements. The formwork set of this formwork assembly consists of wall shuttering panels, corner shuttering elements, deck shuttering panels and, where appropriate, formwork insert elements, and the deck shuttering portion comprises clamping means linked to the split formwork elements which serves to position the deck shuttering section and is itself made up of sections, and with an upper movement mechanism arranged between the sections of the clamping means that is suitable for moving apart and drawing together these sections. It further comprises a lower movement mechanism which by means of connecting elements, suitably rods, is capable of moving apart and drawing together the two side panel parts of the wall shuttering portion, and comprises a control element for connecting the upper and lower movement mechanism and operating these synchronously.

An advantageous embodiment is that in which the control element that connects the upper and lower movement mechanism and causes them to be operated synchronously is constructed as a rod with an upper and a lower thread portion and provided with a turning device, while the lower movement mechanism is constructed as a parallelogram linkage controlled by the lower threaded portion of the control rod and provided with top and bottom opposite internal threads, provided with sleeves, and whose arms mutually approach or move apart according to the direction of rotation of the central rod.

In a further embodiment of the invention the clamping means is formed by two beam portions having a wedge-shaped cross-section, the upper movement mechanism consists of a locking element having an upwardly tapering wedge-shaped cross-section and arranged in a groove formed by the two beam sections of the clamping means, and a stirrup with an internally threaded bore for the upper thread portion of the control rod to pass through, with the stirrup collaborating with the beam sections of the clamping means via its upper arm ends, as well as with securing stirrups provided with securing spiders serving to secure the beam sections and the clamping means and for limiting the movement.

A further embodiment of the clamping means and of the upper movement mechanism offers the advantage that the clamping means is formed by two beam sections of L-shaped cross-section and the upper movement mechanism, consisting of a parallelogram linkage, is articulated at its ends with the aid of guide pins arranged on the inside of the beams and makes a similar articulated joint with the internally threaded sleeves that accommodate the upper threaded part of the control rod through its inner ends, the sleeves being provided with mutually opposite threads responding to the direction of rotation of the wheel secured to the control rod in order to effect the moving together or moving apart of the linkage. The threads of the sleeves of the upper parallelogram linkage and of the lower parallelogram linkage and those of the end portions of the control rod are constructed in such a manner that the approaching and moving apart of these linkage arms is synchronized. That variant is advantageous in which the two parallelogram linkages possess telescopic reinforcing and movement-limiting supports between them in between the inner surfaces of the L-section beam sections in whose outer jackets a groove having a length matching the stretched out dimension of the formwork is located, while in its inner tubular portion a pin guided in the groove is secured.

Where appropriate, it is suitable to use a deck suspension construction consisting of hooks, inclined bearing rods and vertical drawbars that is inserted in the deck before concreting for the purpose of suspending large-span floors.

In a further embodiment the formwork assembly possesses inclined support elements of adjustable size for connecting the central portion of the deck shuttering section with the base portion of the wall shuttering section. 7

The invention displays numerous novel and advantageous effects that cannot be obtained by the known constructions designed for a similar purpose. Thus it is particularly significant that the movement of the two side wall panels and the deck shuttering panels ensues entirely synchronously during both erecting and stripping of the shuttering results in a very precise construction producing minimum stressing and uniform removal of the formwork from the concrete surfaces. The construction is entirely independent of the disadvantages arising from subjective human actions in that the operator carries out the movement of the formwork assembly exclusively by turning the position-adjustment wheel secured to the control rod; the work thus demands no special technical knowledge. In addition to the fact that the formwork according to the invention is structurally the simplest among the constructions of similar type, statically the most beneficial and the lightest in weight, it can be moved from one storey to the next as a single unit, and, as a result, eliminate reerecting. The transfer process is thus accelerated, the overall building cycle shortened appreciably and the technology simplified. Also, the fabricating costs of the formwork according to the invention are appreciably lower than the mentioned formwork constructions, no additional tools are required and there is no need to remove wedge securing elements or the like, to lead to a longer life for the formwork construction and entirely smooth wall surfaces that are at once ready for papering etc. In addition, the formwork assembly according to this invention allows rooms of practically any desired dimensions to be processed and so the disadvantage of the lack of variability in previous constructions is eliminated by the invention. To all this must be added the shorter amortization period, the greater number of possible re-uses, the need to replace only smaller parts in case of damage and the possibility of suspending large-span floors without interfering with the shuttering work. Consequently, the formwork assembly according to the invention, by solving the problem of suspending floors prior to stripping the forms, displays the advantage that it is possible after removal of the shuttering elements to support the deck before stripping of the other half element by means of fittings that remain in place, while the complicated nature of erecting and stripping of the shuttering is eliminated. In addition the formwork elements have small dimensions and are not at risk to deformation or damage during transportation from one building site to another.

Several embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a suitable embodiment of the formwork according to the invention in perspective view,

FIG. 2 shows cross-sections of some of the parts of the formwork assembly of FIG. 1 on a bigger scale, together with the load-bearing walls and decks and some necessary component elements,

FIG. 3 is an alternative embodiment of the movement mechanism of the formwork assembly according to the invention shown in perspective view on a bigger scale.

The formwork assembly shown in FIG. 1 is composed of wall shuttering panels 1, corner shuttering elements 2 and deck shuttering panels 3, and, where appropriate, of shuttering inserts 4; these panel inserts 4 form a very important part of the formwork panel set. It is clear that both the height and the width can be adapted to the required dimensions of the room by the use of several of these modular insert panels. Since in accord with FIG. 1 a desired number of the formwork assemblies can be used in series (gang assemblies), any desired variability is possible also in the longitudinal direction, and thus the dimensions in all three directions can be varied as desired. The panels are fabricated of metal and according to need are provided with a (not shown) reinforcing rib system. They can be connected to one another by securing with pins and wedges.

The formwork assembly composed of panel elements and reinforced by additional elements in the manner described is effectively operated by the moving apart and moving together mechanism according to the invention. A principal element of this mechanism is the clamping means, by means of which the upper formwork panels of the assembly are moved together and apart and which in the variant according to FIGS. 1 and 2 is composed of beam sections 5a and 5b having a wedge-shaped cross-section forming a downwardly expanding groove between them and which are capable of relative horizontal movement in either direction. The likewise wedge-shaped locking member 6 with an upwardly tapering cross-section fits in the groove formed by the beam sections 5a and 5b, with its length matching that of the beams, i.e., suitably, that of the formwork section. As it penetrates between the beam sections 5a and 5b, the locking member pushes these sections apart, or, when it is moved downwards, enables them to be drawn together. Since they are connected to the beam sections 5a and 5b, the elements forming the deck shuttering of the formwork assembly follow the movement of these beam sections and move to and fro horizontally. At the same time a movement mechanism that will be described in greater detail in what follows and which works synchronously with the above-described first movement mechanism produces moving apart and moving together also in the lower part of the wall formwork panel 1 identical to that in the upper part, and so the entire formwork assembly is opened out to lie against the surfaces to be concreted in the intended position, or, conversely, is removed from same to lead to overall stripping in a single operation. The upward pressure exerted by the locking body 6 ceases when its small base plate 6a comes to lie in the same plane as the top surface of the deck shuttering panels 3.

The stirrup 7, whose vertical arms are secured to the beam sections 5a and 5b, serves to move the locking member 6 relative to the clamping means consisting of the beam sections 5a and 5b, but in the horizontal belt portion, relative to which the arms can move only horizontally to and fro together with the sections 5a and 5b, a threaded bore 7a is constructed through which the upper thread portion 8b of the control rod 8, having a top thread portion 8a and a bottom thread portion 8b, is led. The upper end of the rod follows on the locking member 6, so that as a result the rod can push the body upwards and pull it downwards to enable the upper end of the rod 8 to rotate freely in the sleeve 6a, while pulling out is, however, prevented. The lower thread portion 8a of the rod 8 follows on the swivelmovement parallelogram linkage 9 in such a manner that it is led through the upper right-hand threaded sleeve 9a and the lower left-hand threaded sleeve 9b. The lateral limits 9c and 9d of the parallelogram linkage 9 are connected with the inner ends of the rods 10a and 10b, which rods are, however, secured to the vertical sides of the formwork assembly with their outer ends. A wheel 11 is secured on the rod to effect its movement; where appropriate, this element can be replaced by an alternative desired element suitable for moving the rod, e.g., an arm.

In the upper clamping mechanism securing stirrups 12a and 12b are arranged on either side of the stirrup 7, with whose aid either the beams 50 and 5b and the elements 6 between them can be secured in the desired position by the securing spindle 13, or else stripping of the entire shuttering can be effected by loosening of the spindle. The wheels 14, the lifting spindle 15 and the drive-out rail 16 represent fundamentally important accessories of the formwork assembly; the last-named is suitably fabricated to have a U-shaped cross-section along which, firstly, the entire formwork assembly can be rolled out on wheels, while, secondly, in the concreting position the formwork is supported on the rail by virtue of the driving out of the lifting spindle 15. At the same time the guide rail 16 secures the guide depth of the formwork assembly, and, suitably, the bracket that holds the terminal wall shuttering panels is also suspended from these rails.

The inclined'struts 17 are provided to increase the rigidity of the formwork itself; their length can be adapted according to the spatial dimensions to be concreted. In the variants of the embodiments shown in the figures, supports consisting of two rods guided in intermediate sleeves are used; both the sleeves 18 and also the end portions of the rods meeting in the sleeves are provided with bores, and so the supports can be secured in the intended position by desired securing elements, e.g., push-through pegs.

FIG. 2 shown, firstly, the solution to the external shuttering of the outermost side walls and, secondly, the structure used to suspend the deck 19. The shuttering of the outermost side wall is constructed from multiple-section panels 20 resting against the brackets 21 and, as already mentioned, these are suspended from the rails with the aid of a securing element 22. The structure consisting of bracket 21 and shuttering panels 20 is reinforced by a grid of rods 23.

The deck suspension structure consisting of the parts 19a, 19b and 19c has as its task the suspension of largespan floors before stripping of the formwork takes place. Suspending ensues with the aid of hooks 19a which are suitably formed from reinforced concrete and are inserted in the floor before concreting and are then embedded in the concrete. The inclined rods 19b and the vertical drawbar of the construction are suitably made of metal and are suitably dimensioned so as to take up the forces that act. The construction can be used for different spans, the suspension force involved can be controlled and made more uniform by employing a dynamometer.

FIG. 2 shows that the wall stubs 24, which are absolutely parallel with the load-bearing walls 25 and which are concreted in the same operation as the deck, help considerably with the concreting of the following storeys. The concreting of the wall stubs, whose height is suitably 15 to 20 cm, ensues with the aid of formwork elements of this wall. The drive-out rails 16 are secured, firstly to the walls stubs 24 and, secondly, the side wall panels of the next floor rest against them. The wall stubs 24 also provide means for letting down and at the same time stripping of the formwork elements.

Suitably the shuttering for the wall stub 24a is fabricated from cold-shaped 120 X 120 X 1,800 mm, mm thick steel sheet of L-cross-section with equal arms and it is to be connected to the corner shuttering panel 2 underneath by a tear-off joint. The above solution employing the wall stubs ensures that all the vertical walls in the entire building are parallel.

For the openings that need to be provided in the decks and the side walls of the building, per se known (not shown) shuttering inserts are used, suitably made of 5 mm thick sheet steel with handles and means for securing to the panels.

After placing of the concrete the formwork assembly is rolled out on to an elevated stripping framework at the ends of but outside of the respective .building unit; this procedure will be describe in greater detail in what follows. The framework may be constructed as per se known scaffolding provided with a safety barrier and it can be secured to the already completed floors with screws, or the terminal member may be secured to the wall stub.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the upper intersection of the expansion and contracting clamping mechanism. The wedge-shaped beam sections of the clamping means are here replaced by beams 25a, 25b of L-cross-section which, firstly, are connected to the adjacent deck shuttering panels 3 on both sides and thus transmit to these their horizontal to-and-fro movement, and, secondly, are joined to one another by the parallelogram linkage 26. This parallelogram linkage is suitably of the same make-up and is operated in the same way as the parallelogram linkage 9 in the earlier embodiment. The parallelogram linkage 26 is articulated at its outer ends to the guide pins 27a and 27b secured to the beam sections 250 and 25b, while its inner ends are likewise articulated to the inwardly threaded bushes 28a 28b, the upper bushing 28a having a left-hand thread and the bottom bushing 28b a righthand thread, if as described above, the internally threaded upper bushing 9a of the lower point of intersection has a right-hand thread and the lower bushing 9b a left-hand thread. The control rod 8 has its lower threaded portion 80 led through bushes 9a, 9b and its upper threaded part 8b led through the bushes 28a and 28b. The parallelogram linkage 27 is centered by means of two telescopic supports 29 (for the sake of clarity only one is shown in FIG. 3), whose ends are connected to the beam sections 25a, 25b. In the outer region of larger diameter of the telescopic supports 29a, 29b a slot 30 is provided in which a pin 31 secured to the inner support part is disposed. In order to close the gap between the parts 25a, 25b of the clamping means, a known sealing plate is provided, which plate can be secured in position during concreting by locking. In the present embodiment the sealing plate 33 is articulated to the section 25b so as to be pivotable in the direction of the arrows C and then locked in the position in which it closes the gap 32 in the upper plane of the deck shuttering panel. In other words, when the sections 25a and 25b are fully spaced apart, the plate 33 may be shown). up from its FlG. 3 position into a horizontal position in which it closes the gap and may be held in that horizontal position by any desired means (not shown. Naturally, the gap may be sealed in a suitable alternative manner, e.g., by an element inserted from above.

The carrying out of the work using the formwork assembly according to the invention on an intermediate storey of the building is as follows:

The stripping of the concreted section commences with the undoing of the tear-off closure of the shuttering 24a of the wall stub, followed by removal of the shuttering of this wall stub, the gang-type shuttering units are then disconnected from each other (as described above these connections are per se known wedge and cross connections). The wheel 11 is next turned in the direction of the arrow B to move the locking element downwards, and with the aid of the stirrup 7 the beam sections 5a, 5b are moved relative to one another after unscrewing of the securing stirrup spiders or drawing together of the parallelogram linkage arms 26 (FIG. 3) respectively by virtue of the bush 28a having a left-hand thread, and bush 28b having a right-hand thread, the upper part of the thread of the control rod 8 moving the sleeves apart when the wheel is turned in the direction shown. At the same time a synchronous drawing together of the lower parallelogram linkage arms 9 occurs, but here the upper sleeve has a right-hand thread and the lower sleeve 9b has a left-hand thread. The upper movement mechanism thus removes all the shuttering from the concreted wall surfaces in one step, viz at the bottom with the aid of the rods 10a and 10b and at the top directly by moving together of the formwork elements. Initially, the lifting spindle 15 is raised and the contracted formwork assembly is lowered on to the wheels 14. Next, the formwork section is driven out on to the (not shown) stripping frame located on the end of the building. Here cleaning and lubricating of the formwork proceeds. In the meantime the rails 16 are placed next to the wall stubs 24 formed together with the floor and are secured there. The formwork assembly is now lifted on to the rails with the aid of a crane and is next lowered on to the lifting spindle l5 and adjusted to occupy the desired horizontal and vertical position. The wheel is now turned in the direction of the arrow A to actuate the expanding and contracting mechanism and to cause the beam sections and the arms of the parallelogram linkage 26 to be moved apart. Synchronously the arms of the parallelogram linkage 9 are stretched outwards and push the rod system apart to position every surface of the shuttering in its intended place.

This intended position is shown in the embodiment according to FIG. 3 by the abutting against the pin 31 guided in the slot 30, and in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2 by the abutting against screws 13; there is thus no risk of turning the wheel 1 1 too far and of expanding the assembly too much.

Following longitudinal and transverse connecting up of all the formwork elements of an entire unit, the possibly dismantled wall end and wall stub shuttering elements are fixed in position, the shuttering for openings and any reinforcing elements are inserted and concreting is then performed. Following an optional heat treatment stage the next cycle commencing with the above-described stripping operation can commence.

Where the formwork assembly is provided also with inclined reinforcing supports 17, then, naturally, the connection via the sleeves 18 must be made or unmade on erecting and stripping of the shuttering respectively. Self-evidently, where a large-span deck structure is concerned the suspension equipment 19 is used.

Both the main elements and also the accessory parts of the formwork assembly according to the invention may be made of metal or of a combination of metal, wood and plastic; the shuttering surfaces can be constructed such that their dimensions can be varied by a desired modular amount, e.g., in steps of 0.3 meter.

We claim:

1. Formwork assembly for the construction of cell system-type concrete building units, comprising opposite wall shuttering panels, corner shuttering elements, and deck shuttering panels, the deck shuttering panels comprising split formwork elements interconnected by clamping means for horizontal movement relative to each other, an upper movement mechanism for actuating the clamping means to move the split formwork elements toward and away from each other, a lower movement mechanism for moving said wall shuttering panels toward and away from each other, and a control element common to and interconnecting said upper and lower movement mechanisms for operating said mechanisms simultaneously and in synchronism, said control element comprising a rod having upper and lower threaded portions and means for turning the rod, said upper threaded portion actuating said clamping means upon rotation of said rod, said lower threaded portion being in screw-threaded engagement with a parallelogram linkage having upper and lower opposite screw threads that engage with oppositely threaded upper and lower screw threads on said lower threaded portion.

2. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the clamping means is formed from two beam sections (5a,5b) of wedge-shaped cross-section, and in that the upper movement mechanism consists of the following elements: (i) a locking element (6) having a wedge-shaped, upwardly tapering cross-section and arranged in the groove formed between the beam sections (5a,5b), (ii) a stirrup (7) provided with an internally threaded bore (7a) through which the upper threaded portion (8b) of the control rod (8) passes, which stirrup (7) collaborates with the beam sections of the clamping means via its upper arm ends, (iii) securing stirrups (12a,12b) equipped with securing spindles (13) serving for securing the beam sections of the clamping means and for limiting the extent of the movement.

3. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the clamping means if formed from two beam sections (25a,25b) of L-shaped cross-section,

and in that the upper movement mechanism consists of a parallelogram linkage (26), and in that the outer ends of this parallelogram linkage can be articulated with the aid of guide pins (27a,27b) arranged on the inside of the beam sections of the clamping means, and in that the inner ends are connected in the same articulated manner to the internally threaded sleeves (28a,28b) that accommodate the upper threaded portions of the control rod, the sleeves being provided with opposite threads in order to effect the moving together or apart of the parallelogram linkage arms (9) when the wheel (11) secured to the control rod (8) is turned in direction A or B respectively, and in that the threads of the sleeves (28a,28b;9a,9b) of the upper parallelogram linkage (26) of the lower parallelogram linkage (9) and those of the end portions of the control rod are construeted such that the movin towards each other and movmg apart of these paralle ogram llnkage arms occurs synchronously.

4. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that telescopic reinforcing and movement limiting supports (29) are arranged between the internal surfaces of the beam sections (25a,25b) of L- shaped cross-section of the clamping means, with the parallelogram linkage arranged between these supports in whose outer jacket (29a) a slot is formed whose length matches the dimensions of the distance between the formwork elements in the expanded state of the assembly and in whose inner tubular portion (29b) a pin led in the groove is secured.

5. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the formwork assembly has a deck suspension construction that is inserted in the floor construction before stripping and concreting for the purpose of suspending decks of large span, which construction consists of hooks (19a), inclined bearing rods (19b) and vertical drawbars 6. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the formwork assembly has inclined support elements (17,18) of adjustable size for connecting the central portion of the deck shuttering section with the base portion of the wall shuttering section.

7. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that the formwork assembly has a gap sealing panel (33) that during placing of the concrete is suitable for sealing the gap (32) formed during moving apart of the beam sections (25a,25b) of L-shaped cross-section of the clamping means. 

1. Formwork assembly for the construction of cell system-type concrete building units, comprising opposite wall shuttering panels, corner shuttering elements, and deck shuttering panels, the deck shuttering panels comprising split formwork elements interconnected by clamping means for horizontal movement relative to each other, an upper movement mechanism for actuating the clamping means to move the split formwork elements toward and away from each other, a lower movement mechanism for moving said wall shuttering panels toward and away from each other, and a control element common to and interconnecting said upper and lower movement mechanisms for operating said mechanisms simultaneously and in synchronism, said control element comprising a rod having upper and lower threaded portions and means for turning the rod, said upper threaded portion actuating said clamping means upon rotation of said rod, said lower threaded portion being in screw-threaded engagement with a parallelogram linkage having upper and lower opposite screw threads that engage with oppositely threaded upper and lower screw threads on said lower threaded portion.
 2. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the clamping means is formed from two beam sections (5a,5b) of wedge-shaped cross-section, and in that the upper movement mechanism consists of the following elements: (i) a locking element (6) having a wedge-shaped, upwardly tapering cross-section and arranged in the groove formed between the beam sections (5a,5b), (ii) a stirrup (7) provided with an internally threaded bore (7a) through which the upper threaded portion (8b) of the control rod (8) passes, which stirrup (7) collaborates with the beam sections of the clamping means via its upper arm ends, (iii) securing stirrups (12a,12b) equipped with securing spindles (13) serving for securing the beam sections of the clamping means and for limiting the extent of the movement.
 3. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the clamping means if formed from two beam sections (25a,25b) of L-shaped cross-section, and in that the upper movement mechanism consists of a parallelogram linkage (26), and in that the outeR ends of this parallelogram linkage can be articulated with the aid of guide pins (27a,27b) arranged on the inside of the beam sections of the clamping means, and in that the inner ends are connected in the same articulated manner to the internally threaded sleeves (28a,28b) that accommodate the upper threaded portions of the control rod, the sleeves being provided with opposite threads in order to effect the moving together or apart of the parallelogram linkage arms (9) when the wheel (11) secured to the control rod (8) is turned in direction A or B respectively, and in that the threads of the sleeves (28a,28b;9a, 9b) of the upper parallelogram linkage (26) of the lower parallelogram linkage (9) and those of the end portions of the control rod are constructed such that the moving towards each other and moving apart of these parallelogram linkage arms occurs synchronously.
 4. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that telescopic reinforcing and movement limiting supports (29) are arranged between the internal surfaces of the beam sections (25a, 25b) of L-shaped cross-section of the clamping means, with the parallelogram linkage arranged between these supports in whose outer jacket (29a) a slot is formed whose length matches the dimensions of the distance between the formwork elements in the expanded state of the assembly and in whose inner tubular portion (29b) a pin led in the groove is secured.
 5. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the formwork assembly has a deck suspension construction that is inserted in the floor construction before stripping and concreting for the purpose of suspending decks of large span, which construction consists of hooks (19a), inclined bearing rods (19b) and vertical drawbars (19c).
 6. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the formwork assembly has inclined support elements (17,18) of adjustable size for connecting the central portion of the deck shuttering section with the base portion of the wall shuttering section.
 7. Formwork assembly as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that the formwork assembly has a gap sealing panel (33) that during placing of the concrete is suitable for sealing the gap (32) formed during moving apart of the beam sections (25a,25b) of L-shaped cross-section of the clamping means. 